Russell Drysdale’s ‘The Crucifixion’ is closely related to his drought paintings collection, however there is a strong sense of unique religious perspective conveyed through this piece. The colour palette of deep reds and browns is used similar to his other works that depict the harshness and brutality of the Australian landscape. By implementing the idea of religion into this work, Drysdale has created a new meaning for the outback that describes the impact of white settlement on the environment. During the Second World War, he attempted to illustrate the horrors of warfare to evoke emotion and a sense of empathy in other Australian artists through the painting The Crucifixion. In this work Drysdale combined symbolism with the imagery of